Abstract
Domestic food production in Nigeria is mainly from small scale rural farmers who make up 80% of farmers in the country. However, the rate of food production is not commensurate with the rate of population growth and Nigeria is still recognised as a country with a stagnating food security situation. Rivers State is a food producing state rich in land and water resources and agriculture is the major occupation of its rural dwellers. Its agricultural systems may, however, need to be improved to make it more productive, profitable and sustainable. Crop livestock integration is a major avenue to improving food production in developing countries and improving the lives of rural farmers but little is known about its dynamics in Rivers State. At present crop, livestock and fish production systems are not well integrated and most waste resources produced from these systems are not fully utilised in the food production circle.This research explored the food production structures in Rivers State using two communities as case studies. Its findings indicate that although farm systems produce resources which could be recycled into the food production system, deliberate integration is still low among local farmers. The major constraints to crop livestock integration and food production in the region include the location of arable farms, poor transportation and market strategies, low producing technologies and low information or knowledge among farmers. The study concludes with recommendations for improving food production through the adoption of suitable crop livestock practices based on the particular trends observed in the study sites.
Date of Award | 2011 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | James Bennett (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- farming
- sustainable agriculture
- Africa
- Nigeria
- crop livestock integration
- food production